Under 10 Bucks
by omegatrinity
Summary: AxelRoxas. Roxas thinks, because they're best friends, he should give Axel a present. Early Christmas fic.
1. Under 10 Bucks

Roxas figures, and this is a stretch, that since Axel is his _best friend_, a present was in order. The problem _was_ that they were both in Organization XIII and Christmas wasn't _really_ celebrated -because they couldn't feel joy, only remember it- and Xemnas had lectured -about thirty times- that Christmas would be better spent working towards Kingdom Hearts.

Meaning Xemnas would be the _wrong_ person for advice. Not that he was considering him.

The only thing Roxas could imagine Axel liking was fire, because that was what he associated with him, and that really wasn't a gift... more of a skill Axel already possessed.

At some point during the day he decided that Axel was a _dick_ for not having any easily noticed interests, and that someone like him didn't even _deserve_ a present.

The feeling hadn't lasted long enough, and Roxas left the Castle that Never Was to think in the surrounding city.

Of _course_ Axel was waiting outside, and Roxas had to stifle every instinct to kick him in the face and bitch about how hard he was to shop for. Axel's expression said that Roxas was making a face and that he wasn't really sure what he had done wrong, but he was willing to leave if it would help.

Roxas knew better, Axel never left when he thought he should...

_Because he likes to __**bother**__ people_. Roxas thinks, and he's back to being irritated for no reason over his friends existence. _**Non**__-existence_, he can hear Xemnas preach, heaven forbid they use the _wrong word_.

He spends the next five minutes of Axel's confused expression trying to get over how annoyed over nothing he is.

"Hey, uh, Roxas?"

_Damnit_. But _technically_ Axel hadn't done anything wrong...yet. So Roxas summed up all of the niceness he had left after mentally verbally abusing their boss to respond.

"What is it?" Oops, it was sort of a snap. Roxas had meant it nicer, and he'd tried too. Sometimes he felt like every sentence came out a little more forcefully than he had intended.

He watches Axel flinch backwards in surprised, and he frowns at the blonde in front of him.

"Hey, chill out, okay? You looked pissed, so I came to see what was up." Axel makes a face that says "what is it _this_ time" but he always listens despite any sarcasm or expression comes out first. Axel was a good friend, Roxas begrudgingly admits, even if he didn't want people knowing.

"It's nothing." And there's the tone again, Roxas tries to shake it off for the next sentence, "I was just thinking a little bit, no big deal." There must be some condition he has where everything he says comes out depressing and monotone -the occasional whine is really only a bonus. "I mean, nothing _serious_, you know? Just thought I'd like to see some _black_ buildings instead of the white." Roxas motions from the castle and then to the city around them.

"Yeah, I hear you." Axel says, and suddenly this conversation seems awkward. Like they're making small talk.

"Hey, Axel..." His tone goes from being overly stoic, to too high pitched, and Roxas wishes he body would just _get it together_. "Do you have any, like...interests?"

The expression on Axel's face makes Roxas wish he could rewind and never ask, or just _cry_ because _why wasn't this conversation_ _going the way he wanted it to?!_

The crying was an exaggeration.

But he knows better than to ask Axel about _feelings_ and not because they're not supposed to have hearts -they get it, Roxas thinks, Xemnas (and Saix) don't have to keep telling them- but because the conversations were always awkward and stupid...

"What?"

Roxas nearly punches Axel in the face, but he decides that it's not really fair to his _friend_. He tries to keep this in mind.

"Interests. You know, stuff you like?" This is ridiculous, Roxas grinds his teeth, talking to Axel was like talking to a wall -no, even _walls_ know what an interest is.

"Yeah, I know what it is, Roxas." Axel looks a little annoyed at first, but bursts into laughter, and Roxas almost walks away, but he feels like it's either make an ass of himself, or buy Axel the ugliest sweater he can find from Christmas Town -the second option is sounding better and better as the conversation progresses.

"Shouldn't you know? We're supposed to be _best friends_, right?" Roxas is almost shocked that Axel doesn't spell the words out for him, but he supposes he saves that for random people or Marluxia -because he hates it- rather than wasting the energy on him. Axel points to the air _anyway_, like Roxas can see his sentence in subtitles above his head, and that by pointing out the words, he'll somehow remember what sort of things Axel likes.

He doesn't.

They share what seems like _five. minutes._ of absolute silence and Axel stares disbelievingly back at Roxas.

"_C'mon_ Roxas!" This tone seems legitimately shocked, as opposed to the last _lifetime_ of sarcasm.

While Axel starts to look a little offended, Roxas is beginning to realize that asking Axel was the wrong solution to the problem, and that _really_ he should have just asked Vexen or something, the guy was a creeper and there's no _way_ he wasn't keeping tabs on _everyone_.

He knew he _was_ because Vexen never _shut up _about it.

"-can think of at least _ten_ things _you_ like-" Oh, Axel was talking. Roxas decides that maybe if he just listened to Axel as much as Axel listened to him, this problem wouldn't have come up in the first place, and-

He was doing it again.

He interrupts him, "That's not what I meant." He doesn't mean to shout it, but he wishes Axel would take the whole conversation a little less personally and just answer the question. Hell, even an answer like "cheeseburgers" would be _way_ more helpful than the entire half hour they've been talking. Roxas knows he can solve this problem if he just hears Axel out and maybe explain himself, but he likes the element of surprise and he's too stubborn to just _tell_ Axel what's going on.

Axel looks pretty irritated, and Roxas is starting to get angry _because_ Axel looks so put out. _This is probably why no one celebrates Christmas_, Roxas can't help but think. The Organization (specifically the more serious members) are so busy being politically correct about Nobodies that no one can pull the stick out of their ass long enough to do _anything_ that isn't related to Kingdom Hearts.

Roxas frowns, "Forget it." Doing something thoughtful for a friend shouldn't be this exhausting. But he remembers that Axel is sort of an exhausting person, that he's probably the only member of the Organization that puts up with him at all, and even though he hasn't stopped hearing about how "they have no feelings" since he arrived at the castle, he supposes he has to feel _something_ for Axel because they've been _best friends_ for as long as he can remember.

"Wait." Roxas rolls his eyes and turns, Axel still looks mad but has that face that he _always_ makes when he wants to stop fighting.

"Sorry, that came out kind of..." Roxas feels like he's done enough whining -mentally or otherwise- and he knows Axel _hates_ fighting because no one _else_ in the castle will listen to anything he has to say without vomiting the same dumb crap _both_ of them are tired of hearing. He figures that Axel is, pretty much, the only thing keeping him in the Organization.

"Why do you want to know?"

He doesn't answer. Roxas wishes he were a better liar, but Axel is _really_ good at reading him, and while most of time it's irritating, it _does_ have its uses.

"Nevermind." Roxas shrugs to show that there are no hard feelings -and partially to prove he's not being a huge baby about the whole conversation- and he walks away without really acknowledging the end of their talk.

When Christmas comes, the castle makes up for snow with its stale white walls and intense lighting. Roxas roams the hallways towards Axel's room, the present in his hands behind his back.

He knows he's put too much thought into it and that Axel will make fun of him for "celebrating" anything. He's sure to hear it from _someone_ about how this is _not_ a festive occasion but only a day which further reminds Nobodies of the empty existence they're forced to suffer.

Roxas wishes he could say he only _suffers_ when he has to hear about it all the time.

Axel looks up when Roxas walks through the door, he looks surprised and then gets up.

"Roxas!" Oh, excited, _that_ was the expression. Roxas isn't really sure what there is to be excited over. This holiday _usually _sucks because everyone's always so serious. It makes Christmas about as exciting as their routine meetings.

Not very.

Already sort of embarrassed that he did anything at all, Roxas whips the present out from behind his back and shoves it into Axel's hands. It's all very unceremonious, but Roxas would be lying if he said he didn't want to watch Axel's reaction.

"...What-"

"It's a present. Merry Christmas, Axel." Roxas feels like he's going to be sick, there's no way people in other worlds can enjoy this feeling.

Axel opens it, but not without a look of question before he tears into the box -wrapped with the post-its from Saix's desk. He looks up before he really _gets_ to the present, and Roxas almost asks himself why he made the effort in the first place.

It takes less than 5 seconds for Axel to close the distance between them, and Roxas is pretty sure he saw Axel dive into him, but the impact feels delayed. When he opens his eyes he's on the floor staring up at Axel.

"What kind of Nobody _are_ you?" Axel's laughing, but the sarcastic tone is still there. "Man, can't you do _anything_ right?" He shakes his head. Roxas pushes him a little bit to get the feeling back in his legs.

"I know," Roxas says, "We don't _have_ hearts." His voice slows to a low drawl, and Axel laughs even harder at the imitation of their boss, but Roxas knows his voice can't go anywhere near as low enough to properly mock Xemnas.

Axel sighs and flops himself down on top of his friend, who has half a mind to shove him off -if only just to make breathing easier- but decides to let it slide. Just this once. But he knows Axel's falling asleep by the sound of his sigh, followed by the slower breathing. Napping is Axel's way of showing how comfortable he is, and Roxas is pretty sure he's only seen him fall asleep near him or in his own room. He doesn't count the times where he _pretends_ he's sleeping during meetings, just to piss someone off -usually Marluxia.

"I was going to get you something too." Roxas hears him mutter against the chest of his jacket, "But I couldn't think of the perfect thing." He sounds a little dejected, but he knows better than to think that Axel would be disappointed over something so trivial.

"-And Demyx was like, the least help of everyone." Roxas knows _that's_ true. He can't remember the last time Demyx was helpful for anything, save for maybe his ability to ruin secrets. He was a total blabbermouth.

Axel props himself up on his elbows, it startles Roxas enough to shoot his neck backwards as fast as possible, but not without a little pain. He watches his friend's eyes move to the side, an expression Roxas recognizes as thinking, a decision.

"Oh!" The exclamation scares Roxas too, but only as it echoes through the quiet boring bleached white walls of Axel's room and partially through the hallway -they're lying in the doorway, he notices, and he _knows_ someone will stumble across them and he _knows_ it'll be Xemnas or Saix or _someone _he wishes it weren't. He regains his attention just in time to hear, "- maybe I can give you this."

Axel leans forward and presses his lips against Roxas'. It's soft and chaste and Roxas finds his first thought being _huh, I would've expected his kiss to be a little more...rough._ But he throws it from his thoughts almost immediately. His reaction should be _SHIT. I'm kissing my best friend._

He can't bring himself to complain.

Roxas pulls Axel's hood towards himself, before breaking the kiss and Axel suddenly looks like he might vomit _all over_ Roxas. His first instinct is to move Axel out of his way to avoid the sickness, but figures it's probably nerves and a little bit of surprise that are making Axel's expression. Roxas laughs, snorts really, and moves to support himself on his elbows as well.

"Get off me." He shoves Axel a little and the two stand. Axel looks a little hurt, so Roxas presses his palms against the taller man's face and smiles.

"You're a cheap buy, Roxas." Axel smiles a little weakly and rests his head on top or Roxas'.

Roxas moves his lips close to Axel's again, "Next year I won't let you off as easily."


	2. Epilogue

**Epilogue;**

Axel comes swishing -and Roxas thinks that's the only word for it- into the other boy's room, box in hand. Roxas immediately recognizes it as the present he gave Axel for Christmas. Early Christmas, he corrects himself.

Axel is staring down at him, tapping his foot in what seems like melodramatic irritation in Roxas' opinion. Axel _did_ like being a huge freak, he thinks to himself, but he supposes that everyone in Organization XIII has some quirky -no, ridiculous- quality to them.

"Roxas." The tone is serious, and for a minute -but really not even that long- Roxas thinks that maybe this is going to be a legitimately stern conversation. He looks up to acknowledge his friend, and sees Axel's expression is borderline panicked -like he worked himself up to get mad and ended up mixing the feeling with something else.

Crying? Roxas thinks, and he has to stop himself from laughing at the thought of Axel actually sheding tears about anything.

"What's so funny? This is important!" The anger is back in his voice, and Roxas assumes that Axel's probably not going to say anything _remotely_ urgent, he had a tendency to overreact to things, but it seemed like Roxas was the only one on the receiving end.

"What?" Roxas mirrors Axel's serious expression.

"What kind of present is _this_, Roxas?" And Axel whips out a small lighter and a card. "I know we're not supposed to have feelings but you're not even _trying_." He doesn't sound offended, Roxas notices, more like he doesn't understand where Roxas would think he'd _like_ something like that.

"Man, I couldn't think of anything you _liked_." Roxas complains, taking the lighter and turning around in his fingers. "All I could think of was-"

"_Fire?_ What am I going to do with a _lighter_? I can _make_ fire." Axel's looking at Roxas like he's never seen anyone with _less_ intelligence.

"I don't know, I figured you could..." He pauses, trying to think of how he could justify his gift, "Buy cigarettes?" Axel seemed like a smoker.

"Then wouldn't the _logical_ present be to buy cigarettes?" He watches Axel point to the air and he can tell he wanted to emphasize something in the sentence, but represses the desire to make it any more clear than it is already.

"What kind of present is that?" Roxas gives the impression of '_duh, who buys cigarettes for Christmas._' Axel doesn't find it funny.

"And your card?" Oh yeah, Roxas forgot about that, but he can never think of anything to _say _to Axel that isn't something insulting. His response is an "Ah-"

"You just signed your name? Even _I_ know to write something. Not even a 'LOVE'?" Axel smirks at the last part, like Roxas would ever do that.

"What kind of guy writes "Love" in a card to his friend?" Roxas looks away this time, completely losing interest with the conversation. "And what about you?" His voice, expression are deadpan. Roxas tells himself it's for emphasis, and not for passive aggressive revenge.

"If I remember, your gift was more like sexual harassment." He picks his ear to show how unsatisfied he was with the whole situation.

"Wh-"

"Maybe if you'd just told me what you wanted in the _first place_, instead of getting on my case, you'd have gotten something you _wanted_. Like more make up."

"Don't even-"

"Did you read the back?" Roxas' eyes are back on Axel's and Axel starts to look a little defeated.

"No-"

"Man, give me _some_ credit." And Roxas leaves the room, leaving Axel standing confused with the lighter in the card back in his hand.

He turns the card over -nothing, there's a big possibility that Roxas was lying to get out of the conversation. He touches the lighter, flips it over and finds the other side engraved with the shape of Axel's weapon, the chakram, and a small _Thank you_. engraved underneath it.

Axel smiles, knowing when to admit he's lost.

He'll have to find some way to return the favor.


End file.
